Salem's Hart, Bush highlight All-County squad

March 4, 2013

Both players return to the Columbiana County All-Star basketball team, capturing top honors as county players of the year in balloting by county coaches on Sunday.

Bush has guided the Quakers to a 17-6 season, while setting school records for most points in a game (47), season (527) and career (1,273).

He leads the Quakers in scoring (22.9) and steals (2.5), while averaging 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He is shooting 73 percent from the foul line.

Salem's Rich Hart and Wellsville's David Thompson were named co-coaches of the year.

Salem will play Ravenna Southeast in a Division II district semifinal at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Boardman High School.

Wellsville (20-3) captured a share of the Inter-Tri County League lower tier title. The Tigers will play Lowellville in a Division IV district semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Struthers Fieldhouse.

Harrison repeats as the girls player of the year and United's Sam Mathias as the girls coach of the year.

Harrison is on the first team for a fourth time, the last three seasons as a unanimous selection.

She led the Rebels in scoring all four years, finishing with 1,653 career points. This season she averaged 19.4 points, 3.1 steals and 2.9 assists, while shooting 71 percent from the foul line, during the Rebels' 18-7 campaign.

Mathias guided the Eagles to their fifth straight Inter-Tri County League upper tier title and second straight Division III district championship.

United has a school-best 24-2 record entering Wednesday's 8 p.m. regional semifinal against fourth-ranked Orrville at Cuyahoga Falls High School.

Bush was a unanimous selection to the boys team along with Beaver Local senior Troy Hudson, East Palestine senior Austen Reiser and Wellsville junior Nate Scott.

They are joined on the first team by Crestview junior Robert Logan, Southern Local senior Luke Griffith, Salem senior Anthony Shivers and East Liverpool junior Hayden Cunningham.

Bush, Scott and Griffith also were first-team selections last year.

Harrison is joined on the girls first team by United senior Emily Zehentbauer, Columbiana senior Khylea Fullum and Lisbon senior Pam Pierce. All four were unanimous selections.

Also on the first team are Salem senior Lindsey Foster, United junior Mackenzie Gatchel, East Palestine senior Brooke Gedeon and Southern Local senior Kati Hipsley.

Fullum, Pierce and Gedeon also were on the first team with Harrison last year.